Commission approves 5,000 sq ft major accessory building in Silver Creek with landscaping condition

The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for a 5,000-square-foot major accessory building at 449 Wasatch Way after hearing extensive neighbor comment about height, runoff, facade massing and potential outdoor storage.

Planner Ray Milner told the commission the proposed accessory building meets code limits for a lot of that size in the RR zone (maximum 5,000 square feet for a 2–3 acre lot) and that building height is capped at 26 feet for major accessory structures. The applicant, homeowner Charles O'Shella, confirmed the proposed apron and vehicle access adjacent to the building would be gravel.

Several neighbors spoke during the public hearing. Laura Hoffman asked how the height will be measured and whether runoff would be mitigated; Jed Palmacchi said the building footprint seemed large relative to the existing home and worried the space could be used for business storage; Allison Wyer asked for a defined existing grade and façade modulation to reduce visual impact and proposed added screening; Frank Buckler offered conditional support.

Ray Milner explained how the county measures height (from existing or finished grade, whichever yields the greater measurement) and said certified survey evidence will be required at building-permit stage. He also confirmed the applicant previously received a low-impact permit for a solar array; the CUP does not authorize commercial use, and enforcement would proceed through complaint and code-enforcement channels if commercial activity occurred without appropriate permits.

The commission approved the CUP with an additional condition requiring a staff-approved landscaping buffer along the building’s west facade (neighbor side) to mitigate visual impact; the motion passed on a 6–0 roll call vote.

Next steps: Staff will finalize conditions of approval and the landscape plan; the building still requires a building permit, survey verification of height, and subsequent inspections during construction.